Parshat Chukas 5782
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in the beginning of this week’s parsha the words זאת חוקת התורה as an introduction to the laws of Parah Adumah. The Zohar Hakadosh points out that the Torah also uses the term (Devarim, Chapter 4, Pasuk 44), וזאת התורה. We also have in the continuation of our parsha (Chapter 19, Pasuk 14), זאת התורה, albeit without a “Vav” at the beginning. What is the difference between זאת התורה and זאת חוקת התורה?
Rashi brings the well-known teaching of Chazal that the Torah uses the words זאת חוקת התורה to emphasize the notion that these laws are a decree from Hashem. And even though the nations of the world might taunt us for keeping these laws, and perhaps even our yetzer hara questions their reasoning as well, we must accept them. This is the concept of a חוק.
The Sfas Emes and Rav Tzadok learn the words חוקת התורה to mean that the Torah must be engraved in our hearts. This is a reference to Torah Shebe’alpeh. And it’s brought in the Sefarim that the heart of the Torah scholar is the parchment for Torah Shebe’alpeh, as the pasuk in Mishlei says (Chapter 7, Pasuk 3), כתבם על לוח לבך. But the words וזאת התורה refer to Torah Shebichsav which is beyond our total comprehension, as the pasuk there continues, אשר שם משה לפני בני ישראל; Moshe placed the Torah before Bnei Yisrael. It is before us, but too difficult for us to make it part of us. Not so Torah Shebe’alpeh which needs to be חקוקה on our hearts.
The Sfas Emes teaches in the name of his grandfather, the Chidushei HaRim, that when the Torah is engraved in our hearts, then it’s expressed in our actions as well. This is indicated at the end of the parsha in the song about the well. The pasuk says (Chapter 21, Pasuk 18), באר חפרוה שרים כרוה נדיבי עם במחקק במשענתם. The Be’er was dug by the important members of the nation, by Moshe and Aharon. And as Rashi teaches, מחוקק, is a specific reference to Moshe. And we see that his actions, more precisely the digging of the well, expressed the fact that Torah was inscribed in his heart. Only one whose entire essence represented the Torah could dig up the wellsprings of water in the desert, Hashem’s miraculous manner of sustaining Clal Yisrael during their sojourn in the desert.
This, he explains, is the task of every Jew. By making Torah part of him, he is able to find the Divine nature contained within the physical world. The light of Torah Shebichsav is too bright for us to conceive or comprehend; but if we inscribe Torah Shebe’alpeh in our hearts, we can also detect the light of Torah in the mundane. This is how he explains the words of Shammai in Avos (Chapter 1, Mishnah 15) עשה תורתך קבע as well. Make your Torah permanent and inscribed in your hearts.
The Gemara in Berachos 35B teaches דורות הראשונים עשו תורתן קבע ומלאכתן עראי. The previous generations made their Torah permanent and their work temporary; זו וזו נתקיימה בידן. In the end they were successful in both. The Sfas Emes teaches the words עשו תורתן קבע to mean that whatever physical work they did in this world, it was all in order to connect with the holiness and Divine contained within. Their concern and involvement with the purely physical were of secondary importance. With this outlook and perspective, they maintained both. They strengthened their focus and commitment to Torah and Gd, and were successful in the physical as well. But, the Gemara continues, those who made their מלאכה קבע, their main focus was just on the physical, ended up bereft of both spiritual and physical success. זו וזו לא נתקיימה בידן.
This is also the meaning of the Mishnah in Avos (Chapter 5, Mishnah 1)ליתן שכר לצדיקים המקיימים את העולם שנברא בעשרה מאמרות. As the Chidushei HaRim explains elsewhere, the world was created in מאמרות. The word אמירה refers to a subtle, gentle way of speaking. Similarly, Hashem created the world in a subtle manner; His Divine presence in the physical world is not clearly recognizable. Hence, the word עולם, the word for world, means hidden. And the Tzadikim who are מקיים the world are those who are able to see and connect to the hidden Gdliness contained within. And this is accomplished through the חקיקה of Torah on our hearts. And through זאת חוקת התורה we are able to connect to the more sublime וזאת התורה.
Good Shabbos
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